This invention relates to a combined docking and grasping manipulator arm device wherein a single manipulator arm can be used for both docking and for performing general useful work between orbital vehicles and orbital payloads. Heretofore, many manipulator arm devices have included separate mechanisms for docking and performing general useful work such as changing out modules on an orbiting satellite. Prior designs have limited the performance of a single manipulator arm mechanism to one function of the other. This requires that the effector device located on the end of the manipulator arm be changed out from one device to the other depending on whether docking or general work is being carried out by the orbital vehicle.
Devices have been developed for lifting up objects by either grasping around the object or insertion into the object such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 485,944. While these devices may operate satisfactorily for the intended purpose, it can be seen that such devices do not possess the sophistication required for carrying out docking maneuvers as well as general purpose work between an orbital vehicle and an orbital payload wherein specialized docking and grasping devices are required which can be controlled with much precision and accuracy.